Ranking What Was Really The Best Wrestling Finisher Every Year 1990-2020

16. 2005 - Sweet Chin Music

Best Finishers
WWE

Sweet Chin Music was always a fabulous and iconic finish, but Michaels perfected the build towards it during his legendary comeback run.

The move puts considerable strain on the back, and somehow, every time, Shawn Michaels convinced you that he was going to struggle walking out of the ring under his own power, much less bend it and launch the kick. Sweet Chin Music felt almost courageous, post-2002.

2005 was his greatest in-ring year ever, and quite fittingly, he executed the greatest version of his finisher that year, too. It was always deep in its psychology - it was an attack from a distance through which he could knock out the much taller monsters of the 1990s - but, in that iconic finish to his May 2, 2005 RAW match with Shelton Benjamin, he reimagined it as a means of catching out those had caught up to him with his wily veteran instincts.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!